WWE SmackDown!: Shut Your Mouth
WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth (Known as Exciting Pro Wrestling 4 in Japan) is a professional wrestling video game released on the PlayStation 2 by THQ and developed by YUKE's Future Media Creators. It is part of the WWE SmackDown! video game series based on the professional wrestling promotion World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). This game was the sequel to WWF/WWE SmackDown!: Just Bring It and was succeeded by WWE SmackDown!: Here Comes the Pain. It was the first game not to have Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson on the cover, although he appeared on the cover of the PAL version along with Hulk Hogan. This would also be the first game under the WWE banner unless you count RAW (2002), which would make this game the second under the WWE banner. Basic Information 'Developer(s): '''YUKE's Future Media Creators '''Publisher(s): '''THQ (WWE SmackDown!: Shut Your Mouth) & YUKE's Future Media Creators (Exciting Pro Wrestling 4) '''Platform(s): '''PlayStation 2 '''Release date(s): '''October 31st, 2002 in North America, November 15th, 2002 in Europe & February 6th, 2003 in Japan. Gameplay Season mode has been lengthened to two in-game years and features the Brand Extension featuring Ric Flair's RAW and Vince McMahon's SmackDown! For the first time only male wrestlers can participate in season mode. Players compete exclusively on the show they are drafted to for the first few months of year one, consisting of four Raw or four SmackDown! events, plus a monthly pay-per-view event. If the player's character is a created superstar, or if the original superstar has a rating lower than 60, he will instead wrestle on Sunday Night HEAT. Eventually, the player will be booked on the two major TV shows, appearing on two RAW and two SmackDown! shows and the PPV event, even if he did not hold the Undisputed Championship. One of the major angles featured is based on a nWo storyline featured in early 2002 that included Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash & X-Pac, who replaced the released Scott Hall from the original televised storyline. Like its predecessor WWF/WWE SmackDown!: Just Bring It, ''Shut Your Mouth's championships cannot be contended for in Exhibition mode and can only be defended in season mode. All of the major titles of the time, except for the WWE Women's Championship are included in the game: WWE Undisputed, Intercontinental, European, Tag Team, Light Heavyweight, and Hardcore championships. Various unlockables such as alternate player attires can be unlocked through Season mode. Televised and pay-per-view events are televised from the SmackDown! Arena, the exterior of which is based on Madison Square Garden. Although Jim Ross announces a different city at the start of each events, the exteriors remain the same. Notable areas are a New York Subway stop named SmackDown! Station, Times Square, and The World. The game features several arenas that WWE held events at in 2001 and 2002. There are also arenas based on each WWE television show. In certain arenas, players could make their wrestlers scale the TitanTron and jump off it. In addition, The Undertaker's motorcycle could be ridden in some matches. Create-A-Superstar mode gives the freedom to manipulate any part of the superstar's body. It also offers over 58 move sets from a combination of wrestlers in WWE not featured in the game or working in different promotions. Development Wrestler models were greatly improved, and included realistic facial features. Fully animated entrances for each character are featured, with their entrance video playing on the TitanTron, and their respective themes playing in the arena. The title belts are also displayed in the entrances realistically (e.g. The Rock carrying the title belt to the ring and tossing it above his head). Soundtrack For wrestler entrances, most of the themes used in the televised and house shows were incorporated into the game. Along with the in-house music from Jim Johnston, remakes of Johnston's originals from bands such as Breaking Point (for Rob Van Dam), Our Lady Peace (for Chris Benoit), and Saliva (for The Dudley Boyz) were featured. However, Maven and The Hardy Boyz do not have their correct themes, yet Maven's Theme is hidden in the game and is hackable. Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler provide sporadic commentary while ring announcer Howard Finkel provided his voice for match introductions and wrestler entrances. Roster This is the first game to feature wrestlers on different brands, RAW and SmackDown!. In this game, all the wrestlers, including champions are eligible to be drafted on both brands, except for the WWE Undisputed Champion, who is available on both brands, as long as he is the champion. Scott Hall originally appeared as a member of the nWo. However, because of his release a few months earlier he was removed from the game, also Mick Foley & Bret Hart are not in the game but their created faces and features are. Shawn Michaels appears as a playable character in Exhibition mode and also can be used as a special referee but as an NPC for Season Mode. Vince McMahon and Ric Flair and Stephanie McMahon are NPCs but can be played in special match types. This game marks the first appearance of former ECW and WCW wrestlers, as Vince McMahon purchased both companies in 2001. Superstars including Booker T, Rob Van Dam, Diamond Dallas Page, Lance Storm, Billy Kidman, Torrie Wilson, Stacy Keibler, Jazz, The Hurricane, Chuck Palumbo and Shawn Stasiak. This game also marks the first appearance of John Cena, Randy Orton and Brock Lesnar as playable characters. This game is Jeff Hardy's last video game appearance until WWE SmackDown vs RAW 2008 in November 2007, as well as Mark Henry's last video game appearance until WWE SmackDown vs RAW 2007 in late 2006. #Albert #Al Snow #Big Show #The Big Valbowski (Val Venis) #Billy Gunn #Billy Kidman #Booker T #Bradshaw #Brock Lesnar #Bubba Ray Dudley #Chris Benoit #Chris Jericho #Christian #Chuck Palumbo #DDP (Diamond Dallas Page) #D-Von Dudley #Eddie Guerrero #Edge #Faarooq #Goldust #Hardcore Holly #Hollywood Hulk Hogan #The Hurricane #Ivory #Jazz #Jeff Hardy #John Cena #Kane #Kevin Nash #Kurt Angle #Lance Storm #Lita #Mark Henry #Matt Hardy #Maven #Molly Holly #Randy Orton #Raven #Rhyno #Ric Flair #Rico #Rikishi #Rob Van Dam #The Rock #Scotty 2 Hotty #Shawn Michaels #Shawn Stasiak #Spike Dudley #Stacy Keibler #Stephanie McMahon #Steve Austin #Tajiri #Tazz #Test #Torrie Wilson #Triple H #Trish Stratus #The Undertaker #Vince McMahon #William Regal #X-Pac #John Cena #Rey Mysterio #Nidia #Jamie Nobie #Victoria #Batista #Chavo Guerrero #Steven Richards #Rosey #Jamel #Eric Bischoff #Justin Credible #New Cupid #Steve Blackman #Chris Nowinski #Dawn Marie #Fred Durst Reception The game received favorable reviews from critics. It received aggregate scores of 84% from GameRankings and 82/100 from Metacritic. GameSpot states how "The gameplay still might be a little too fast-paced for some, but Shut Your Mouth tries to balance it with a more useful grappling, submission, and counter system." IGN stated: "This is the first time there hasn't been an obvious, glaring problem with the series' gameplay, which is cause for some kind of celebration." BBC Sport states how "The arenas are superbly well done, with excellent layout and ultra smooth texturing." GameZone stated: "Control-wise the game has been nicely polished since 'Know Your Role' and 'Just Bring It." However, Electronic Gaming Monthly stated how "Changes to the in-ring gameplay itself are barely noticeable. It's good, but if you're not a hardcore fan, you'll tire of it quickly." While Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine stated: "The controls bug me, too. Where's the innovation?" *GameRankings: 83.74% *Metacritic: 82/100 *1UP.com: B *Allgame: 4/5 *Eurogamer: 8/10 *GameSpot: 8.9/10 *IGN: 8.2/10 WWESmackDownShutYourMouth.jpg|The American cover of the game. SLPS25210salefront.jpg|Exciting Pro Wrestling 4 cover Category:Games